Fireflies [TITANIA]

[SERAPHINA HERODOR]

Supposedly meeting the Fairy Queen was an honour. To Seraphina, it was just another woman, this one however happened to have wings and a pretty impressive bow. Formality? Pah, worthless in the grand scheme of things. What was more important was the heart of the discussion. It was why she so detested the more uptight rulers, Dreysir foremost amongst them, but the terse nature that Ryst had expressed had irked her, while he on the whole was a likable individual, and Zelda's indecision and the aura of formality necessary around her, the only one that she acknowledged, however grudgingly, infuriated her greatly.

Hopefully the Fairy Queen was not as such.

She was holding her destructive abilities back on a tight leash as she followed a guide to the royal chamber of Queen Titania, a diminuitive ball of light with wings, the 'natural' form of the Fairy as a race, or at least, the most distinct one. Doors opened, and she walked in, smiling, radiant in herself, opening her arms wide, a gesture of open friendliness.

[red]Titania, I hope I'm not intruding on anything?[/red]

She smiled, noting the number of courtiers around the chamber, most of whom were looking at Titania. Respect, or something more?

(OOC: Some inference taken, any problems with it, let me know, and I'll change my post for you ^^)

[titania]

Titania was not busy by any stretch. Just having the courtiers in for a quick meeting. She didn't like it much, but it was what it was. However, the day seemed to brighten as the firebrand champion walked into the room. Finally, a reason to dismiss the court.

"Intruding? No. Everyone, if you will, I would like some time alone with our guest." She stood up off of the throne of nature, a bed of leaves and flowers, almost growing out of the floor.

While the courtiers left the area, Titania stood there, one hand on her hip, the other gripping her scepter, looking straight to Seraphina.

"I'm surprised the forest let you in with all the fire you're famous for, champion." She took a few steps forward, down the small stairs that led to the throne. Her and Seraphina were close to the same height, and now they were on level ground. Two leaders meeting on Titania's home turf.

"So what brings the esteemed champion of Hyrule to the Sacred Grove, meeting with the fairy queen on her own soil." Titania didn't care much for formality, and as such her voice was nowhere near noble, more chit-chatty than official.

[SERAPHINA HERODOR]

Ah, she liked Titania already. Formality, gone, straight out of the window. Marvellous. She couldn't be doing with any of THAT nonsense. She smiled vibrantly as the Queen descended from her throne. Even better, equal level, no superiority, even upon her own soil. Why couldn't all leaders be like her?

[red]While I am fiery, the grove clearly recognises that I have no ill will to it. I am only dangerous to those who provoke me, and who oppose me directly.[/red]

Seraphina smiled, radiant as ever, looking over the Queen. The two were of roughly equal height, equal build, but the two couldn't be more different. By comparison, the Fairy Queen looked every inch the ruler, and Seraphina, a vagabond, who'd been set on fire. But therein lay the difference in nature of rule. As Queen, she was, just about, undisputed ruler. Should Seraphina be defeated in a ritual challenge for her position, or Zelda deem her unworthy, she would be stripped of her title. She was, therefore, a warrior first, a ruler, second. She considered her reason for meeting, before shrugging slightly.

[red]I thought it would be a good idea for us to meet, being as I am still relatively new to holding the title of Champion. You met my predecessor I presume? A fine man. A worthy ruler, but unfortunately, an unpopular one with certain circles. Hence his rather... Premature demise.[/red]

She went silent, mourning the loss somewhat. While she was glad that she was able to rise to eminence in his stead, she still lamented the passing of a wise and vibrant leader. She still hoped to fill in his shoes, so to speak. Only she led far more by example, than through speechcraft.

[red]May I call you Titania, your highness? We are hardly leagues apart, and after all, we are in essence simply two beings, in conversation.[/red]

She smiled at this notion. First names with someone would be nice. Very nice indeed.

[titania]

Titania also liked Seraphina. Respectful in a way that didn't seem overly stuffy.

"Good that you understand the grove. It allowing you in shows me that your intentions are pure. Besides, I've never known the forest to provoke."

Titania seemed to be a bit down when the predecessor was mentioned. He really was a fine man in his own right, Titania saw that in him, even though...

"He and I only met once. I was out of the grove a couple years back. It was unfortunate that he had to pass, I liked him, but that shows you the importance of playing to certain crowds. Even I need to try and be favorable in the eyes of the people, all of them. I do what I can to be a contributor as well as a ruler. As for names, call me whatever you wish. We are alone, I know you are talking to me Seraphina." She looked around the walls of the throne room with a sort of sarcastic suspicion. "Unless of course you brought assassins."

[SERAPHINA HERODOR]

She laughed at the mention of assassins. Ah, she DEFINITELY liked Titania. She thought back to a joke her uncle had mentioned once. 'There are twenty invisible ninjas in this room'. Her response had been to hide in the basement of their home for three weeks, until he told her that there were no invisible ninjas any more, because they had all gotten bored and gone home. Amazing how literal the mind of a child was.

[red]Ah, you're on to me. Luckily for you they're very lazy. I think they're asleep.[/red]

She giggled slightly, before waving the comment off.

[red]I'm glad we can actually talk like real people. I do get bored of those formal, nonsensically stuffy meetings with dignitaries and petitioners. They're always so... Uptight... Can never take a joke. And always the same questions... Always with the money...[/red]

She rolled her eyes, before looking about the chamber of Titania's court. Impressive place, lit by some sort of glowing non-flame based torch. She looked at them curiously, before turning to Titania again, head cocked to the side slightly, exuding her interest visually, her tone questioning and curious.

[red]What exactly are those? In the torches, for want of a better word. They give off light without a flame, it's fascinating.[/red]

[titania]

Titania took a deep breathed and seemed to relax. "And here I thought the human champion only brought the best of the best for her duties" she said sarcastically, still playing along.

"Politicians are who they are. I don't argue, and have received extensive formality training as a queen. Do I use it? Not often." Seraphina's love of little gadgets seemed to show through as she asked about the torches. Sadly for her, the torches were magic, not tech.

"A bit of magic actually." She cast her spell of light, which emerged, shining brightly before quickly dissipating. "The trick is sustaining them, which is a job for someone of more skill. Our elder uses a spell to prolong the lights until the time comes when we need them extinguished." Titania began to walk towards a wall in the throne room. It seemed like there was nothing there but wall, but Titania moved something to make the wall shift.

"You've come a long way to say hello, Seraphina. Would you like something to drink?" She heard through others that Seraphina had quite an appetite for alcohol. Titania was intending to test this with the fairy wines.

[SERAPHINA HERODOR]

Seraphina nodded once as she listened, a little disappointed, but still intrigued. If that spell could be isolated and attached to the torch itself... Perhaps then you could make such a thing portable! That would be useful. With a verbal deactivation and reactivation trigger, that could go a long way! She smiled at the thought, noting that it was apparently more difficult to maintain. She continued to look at the light for a minute, before snapping her attention back to Titania, smiling.

[red]A drink would be marvelous. I'm actually pretty thirsty, which is strange, normally I can go for ages without drinking.[/red]

Benefits of being so in tune with fire, she sustained herself through her burning. Fire itself fuelled her. Which was great, but potentially inconvenient. Water, for instance, was notoriously inflammable. Still, she could always evaporate it...

[red]What do you have, out of interest?[/red]

She cocked her head to the side, looking at Titania directly. Amazing, how two people worlds apart got on better than those who interacted most days. Curse that damnable Chancellor Arkos... He and his... Traditions...

[titania]

Titania motioned Seraphina through a passageway. It would have been dark, but Seraphina kept it lit. After they reached the end, they were across the hall from another room. Titania peeked her head out to make sure the coast was clear, then scurried across to the door, which was unlocked at the time. She motioned over for Seraphina to follow.

"Shh, we're not supposed to be down here." She whispered, opening the door to reveal a wine cellar. "Take a couple of bottles and we'll make haste to my personal chambers. We only have fairy wines down here, but feel free to help yourself." Seraphina may have found it odd that the queen would be sneaking around her own castle. Mostly it was to avoid the court, they were always on top of her, so she needed to improvise in order to have any fun. Blasted politicians.

[SERAPHINA HERODOR]

Seraphina had to smile for a moment while Titania led her through the cellars. For several reasons, it was an amusing idea. For one, that the Queen of the Fairies, had to sneak around like a thief in her own cellars. Second, that she had decided to bring along a woman who shared her power, and insisted she remain quiet as well. Third, that she was telling a woman who's head was on fire, a trait not known for clandestinely friendly properties, to be quiet.

[red]Don't you think the leather clad girl on fire MIGHT arouse more suspicion than voices?[/red]

She smirked at Titania, before they reached their destination, a broad smile lit her lips, as she stepped forward, picking up two bottles, looking at the contents, smirk broadening.

[red]My my, a nice collection you have here. Tell me, do you prefer sweet, or dry?[/red]

She lifted each bottle in turn, having absolutely no clue what was in either, but being suitably dramatic, before giggling slightly, looking at the contents again. Oh this would be fun!

[titania]

Titania looked back at her. She didn't fear Seraphina, and besides, it was all about the fun.

"Probably would. But at this point, we're already in deep water if we're caught. Which means it'll be worse for you. Still, we won't get caught. I know what I'm doing. Take a couple sweet ones and follow me." She opened the door and peeked her head out. Clear. As always. Wine cellar security was always loose. She motioned to Seraphina to follow before moving out.

"If my calculations are correct, we can take the stairs right here and be at my room quickly."

[SERAPHINA HERODOR]

Seraphina shrugged, still unsure as to which ones were sweet, and so pulled the tops off of both with her teeth, before tasting them. Both sweet. How handy. She smirked, before restoppering them, and following Titania down the corridor. Oh, the hilarity of the situation.

[red]Are you sure I'd be in trouble? Actually, scratch that question, yeah, I would be.[/red]

She giggled quietly, before following her up the stairs, smiling the whole time. The two entered a luxurious room, before Seraphina flung herself down on the bed, tossing a bottle to Titania. She yanked the cork back out with her teeth, before taking a long swig of the reasonably potent beverage. She smiled, noting the pleasant feeling that accompanied swallowing alcohol.

[red]To success, and to friendship I guess![/red]

[titania]

Titania entered her private quarters and smiled. Good to be back, and to be mischievous in the process. Titania, holding two bottles of her own, had some trouble catching a third, but managed to do so anyway.

"Hey! You can't just go flinging yourself on my bed. Not without me on there first." She set down two of the bottles and opened the other before joining Seraphina on the bed and toasting her.

"To the miracle of us actually being leaders. And to the forest. And to a good night with a hot firebrand!" She took a big swig of the wine and cheered. She loved the sweet stuff dearly.

[SERAPHINA HERODOR]

Seraphina smirked as Titania joined her on the bed, the soft and luxurious sleeping arrangement melting around them both, as though they were sleeping on clouds. Only the fluffy kind, not the wet kind. Her grin only broadened as the two shared a toast, to their rank. She grinned at Titania as they drank down the first of the honorifics.

[red]I don't know about you, but my ascent to Champion was wrought in battle. No miracles there, just pure, unabridged magic.[/red]

She laughed a little, remembering her final opponent, and how comparatively easy he had been to defeat. Slow brute he was, supposedly powerful. He'd never gotten that far. She smirked at Titania, the thought running through her head that so many remarked on her heat.

[red]Oh you don't know the half of it Titania. Not even half of it. To life![/red]

She drank deeply from the bottle, the sweet liquid blossoming taste into her mouth, fruity, light, but oh-so-delicious. She thought for a moment. How best to describe this... Bonding. That's what it was. Breaking down the boundaries between two peoples. That was her excuse.

[red]It's good stuff. Quick question, suppose we were to... Mislay the contents of some of these bottles? Would be able to procure more of this fine beverage?[/red]

She grinned deviously at Titania, before taking another drink from the bottle. A quarter gone already. And not a hint of drunkenness. As per usual. Joys of being so good at combustion.

[titania]

Titania wasn't drinking nearly as fast as Seraphina, but her inability to hold her liquor would show in due time. Her frame wasn't exactly meant to hold it all, and she certainly didn't have the combustion engine Seraphina did.

"I'm sure you toiled every second of it. Besides, I was joking. You sure didn't get the title by fluke, I'm sure." She laughed at her own comments, already starting to enjoy her bottle a little too much. But that's what this was, a night to enjoy, and if it were enjoyed too much, so be it.

"Well, I guess we'd have to go and acquire some more. Although I'm sure I can talk to someone who may have some. Let's see how long it takes for us to finish 4 sweet, wonderful bottles and work it from there, hmm." She took another drink and sighed, falling backwards onto the bed and smiling, loosening the accessory that anchored her chest, letting its soft fur fall across the bed around her.

[SERAPHINA HERODOR]

Seraphina smiled as she began to slow her drinking, savouring the taste. It was, after all, a finer drink than she usually would partake of. The delicate flavours swirled through her mouth, as Titania flopped down upon the bed. She smiled, acknowledging the comments as she held the liquid in her mouth, before swallowing gently, turning and propping herself up against the bedstead, looking at Titania, smile still plastered upon her lips.

[red]Oh it was hardly toil. Just a simple matter of creating enough heat to exhaust my opponents without reducing the number of humans versed in combat. Would kind of be a self defeating expedition otherwise.[/red]

She smirked, before taking another mouthful, swilling it around her mouth, leaning her head back against the post of the bed. She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying herself, before swallowing again, the smile fading for a moment, as she lost herself in thought. Sometimes she wondered what she would be doing had things gone differently that day. Probably something a lot less fun than drinking with the Fairy Queen. She raised an eyebrow for a moment as Titania removed a layer. She shrugged, realising it was her room after all, as she pulled the gloves from her hands, revealing alabaster flesh, glowing with an inner, healthy light, before she set them down by the bed, taking particular care over her masterpiece of a gauntlet.

[red]I like the way you think Titania. Play it by ear. Not enough of us, by which I mean leaders, operate on a whim often enough.[/red]

She smiled, before beginning the long process of unlacing her boots. She'd have to develop some sort of quick release for them... This was tedious...

[titania]

Titania seemed kind of upset that she missed Seraphina becoming champion. It must have been one hell of a spectacle.

"So you just turn the battlefield into a furnace then? That does seem like something you would do. Well, who am I to argue with results?" She took another sip of the wine, happy it was wine and not any rancid swill she had at some of the lower-scale bars in Hyrule. Luckily, she had the Fairy's Fountain Tavern for that. Anyway, now wasn't the time for her to think of that. This was a diplomatic encounter, at least by her standards.

"Thanks Seraphina. It's nice to know this style of governing is still appreciated in some circles. Although the court does all the work, and it's the same bureaucratic junk you find anywhere else." She seemed to spit the last words with a sense of venom, obviously dissatisfied with the way the courts were run. "It just doesn't seem efficient. They want everything to be done with maximum success, but half the time they argue so much nothing gets done." She slumped backward, seemingly upset the whole thing. She slowly moved closer to Seraphina, backing off if the heat was too much, but leaning on her otherwise.

"At least you understand."

[SERAPHINA HERODOR]

Seraphina had to smile, as she finished unlacing the left boot, shimmying it off her foot, to slot it down by the corner of the bed. The other boot, however, would wait for a moment as Titania leaned against her, and Seraphina shuffled slightly to make it so she wasn't going to get a dead arm, for despite her slight build, it was very much possible. She smiled, before moving one arm over Titania, so as to unlace the other boot, ignoring all possible connotations.

[red]Bureaucracy... The worst one is the religious red tape that seems to tie my hands at every opportunity... Amazing how the goddesses in the wrong hands can do more to slow us down than the evils that those hands speak out against.[/red]

She shook her head as the laces dropped to the sides of her boots, before she kicked that one free, dropping neatly to the side, before falling over next to the other. She shrugged, before retracting her arm, nonchalantly. She kept herself in check, in the 'I act like a small sun' sense. She undid a couple of buckles, revealing the slightest hint of pale, yet glowing skin. Pulling the neck sections apart, she rolled her neck slightly, before taking another gulp of wine, smiling at the sensation.

[red]Unfortunately, necessary for most people. Religion provides a bedrock, something I cannot give. What I want is change. Progress. For development to be less hindered, free to develop as it should always have done. And yet they still act with folly, weakness and arrogance...[/red]

She seethed beneath a veneer of calm, hair flaring slightly, before bringing herself to heel again. She shook her now tame hair slightly, as her vibrant red locks cascaded down her back. She closed her eyes as she savoured her next mouthful.

[titania]

Titania adjusted so that Seraphina would be able to unlace her boots. Titania was already barefoot, always doing so in the palace. Seraphina was right, there was a lot of red tape in religion at times.

"I don't get the same issues with religion out here in the grove. We're not nearly as focused on it I guess. Or maybe I'm more out of touch than I think and there's really a religious conflict going on right outside these walls. I don't think so, we know who we are, and we know what we must do. It must be that famous human diversity that keeps you disagreeing." She laughed a little, obviously sarcastic about the human disagreeing. Of course, it wasn't entirely false. Humans were unique that they didn't have a rigid structure. They were always looser, more flexible.

She another quick gulp of wine. "Your kind always amazed me. It seems like you can't agree on anything but you always seem to come out and rally together when it counts. You don't see a duality like that anywhere but with you. I don't know if it should be praised or lamented, but it's amazing either way."

[SERAPHINA HERODOR]

Seraphina adjusted the goggles on her head for a moment, moving them slightly further down her brow, to just below her hairline. Take them off? Of course not. That would be ridiculous. Why would she want to take off her favourite item of apparel? She smiled, thinking on the mutable nature of humanity. It wasn't humanity that really had the problem, per se. It was that humanities mutability often clashed with the far more stoic and rigid manner of many other races. Particularly the Hylians, who for all their blessings, progressiveness was not amongst them.

[red]Of course we disagree. That's how debate is meant to work. When people disagree, it generally produces an end result that is better than the first draft, because steps are made to ensure all parties are happy, rather than slapping a label that says 'Goddess given law' and hoping that it works out.[/red]

She rolled her eyes at the notion, owing to the fact that in some cases, it was entirely the case. Point enclosed, Dreysir's recent... Debate with her on her moving in to Death Mountain. The arrogant, self-serving, malicious and wholly stubborn man had even had the nerve to call her blinkered and short-sighted. So sayeth he who spends more time bathing in his own lavish palace of a home, worshipping Goddesses who likely frowned upon such extravagance.

[red]We adapt. That's all there is to it. We don't have the same Goddess given resources as is given to most races. We have to use our natural ability to adapt to the situation to circumvent the problems, of which there are many, in order to thrive. You for example are given the ability to heal by birth. We require bandages and wound cleansers for what you have as a birthright. That is why we pull together.[/red]

[titania]

Titania took a few more swigs as Seraphina spoke. It was all so very true. Human had an ingenuity about them that other races just didn't possess. Titania was clearly under the effects of alcohol at this point and her speaking became slurred and she was losing control of herself.

"Well Phina, I...I like your race. There is something about them that's just so impressive I...I can't put my finger on it. You people don't mess around, it's really something else, you know that? You know that Phina." She looked Seraphina dead in the eye, as if she just said something profound that was worth praise.

"The one thing that...that I love to notice is how many Human and Hylian Hybrids exist and how many pure Hylians exist. Sometimes I feel like the Hylians prefer...prefer getting together with humans. Now THAT'S impressive."